By utilizing the power of research to improve technologies and therapies, patients at Montefiore Medical Center are given opportunities to participate in early-stage studies.

Toll-Like Receptors (TLRs) play a critical role in the early innate immune response to invading pathogens by sensing microorganism and are involved in sensing endogenous danger signals.

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) which play a crucial in the initiation of innate immune response by detecting potential harmful pathogens. In mammals, the number

The female reproductive tract (FRT) is the main site of entry of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Toll-like receptors (TLRs) that recognize pathogenic motifs are widely expressed in the FRT. TLR stimulation induces immune activation and local production of inflammatory mediators. In the FRT, this response should also be compatible with reproductive functions and symbiosis with host microbiota. With a view to develop efficient mucosal vaccines to prevent STI acquisition, the role of TLR ligands in the FRT needs to be explored. We have therefore investigated the cytokine profiles of the different compartments of the FRT (vagina, endocervix, ectocervix, and uterus) before and after stimulation of mononuclear cells from human tissue specimens. The comparison with PBMCs allowed us to highlight the FRT specificities. We first characterized the main immune cell populations in each compartment and observed that their distribution was different through the compartments. The CD45+ cells represented a maximum of 11% in the FRT in contrast to 96% in PBMCs. We identified two main populations among the CD45+ cells in the four compartments of the FRT: CD3+ T cells (CD4+ and CD8+) and CD14+ APCs. B cell populations (CD19+) were much less frequent than T cells in all the FRT regions and were equally distributed. NK CD56+ cells were detected in all compartments and were more abundant in the uterus. Stimulation of the mononuclear cells was then performed with TLR agonists: R848 for TL...

The protein encoded by this gene is a member of the Toll-like receptor (TLR) family which plays a fundamental role in pathogen recognition and activation of innate immunity. TLRs are highly conserved from Drosophila to humans and share structural and functional similarities. They recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) that are expressed on infectious agents, and mediate the production of cytokines necessary for the development of effective immunity. The various TLRs exhibit different patterns of expression. This gene is expressed most abundantly in peripheral blood leukocytes, and mediates host response to Gram-positive bacteria and yeast via stimulation of NF-kappaB. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008]

Toll-like receptor (TLR)-7 is an endosomal innate immune sensor capable of detecting single-stranded ribonucleic acid. TLR7-mediated induction of type I interferon and other inflammatory cytokine production is important in antiviral immune responses. Furthermore, altered TLR7 expression levels are implicated in various autoimmune disorders, indicating a key role for this receptor in modulating inflammation. This review is focused on the regulation of TLR7 expression and localization compared to that of the other endosomal TLRs: TLR3, 8, and 9. Endosomal TLR localization is a tightly controlled and intricate process with some shared components among various TLRs. However, TLR-specific mechanisms must also be in place in order to regulate the induction of pathogen- and cell-specific responses. It is known that TLR7 is shuttled from the endoplasmic reticulum to the endosome via vesicles from the Golgi. Several chaperone proteins are required for this process, most notably uncoordinated 93 homolog B1 (Caenorhabditis elegans), recently identified to also be involved in the localization of the other endosomal TLRs. Acidification of the endosome and proteolytic cleavage of TLR7 are essential for TLR7 signaling in response to ligand binding. Cleavage of TLR7 has been demonstrated to be accomplished by furin peptidases in addition to cathepsins and asparagine endopeptidases. Moreover, triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells like 4, a protein associated with antigen presentat...

Brexucabtagene autoleucel (Tecartus) has become the first CAR T-cell therapy approved to treat adults with B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). On October 1, FDA approved Tecartus for adults with ALL that not responded to treatment (refractory) or has returned after treatment (relapsed).

For children with the eye cancer retinoblastoma, researchers are studying a CAR T-cell therapy in which the engineered immune cells are packaged in a biodegradable material called a hydrogel and then injected directly into tumors. The treatment showed promise when tested in mice.

A remodeled CAR T-cell therapy causes fewer neurologic side effects and is equally effective as the original form of the therapy, according to results from the first clinical trial of the treatment in patients with B-cell lymphomas. The CAR T-cell targets the CD19 antigen on cancer cells.

A Cancer Currents blog post on a study showing that patient-reported outcomes, or PROs, can be successfully collected during cancer clinical trials

NCI is developing the capability to produce cellular therapies, like CAR T cells, to be tested in cancer clinical trials at multiple hospital sites. Few laboratories and centers have the capability to make CAR T cells, which has limited the ability to test them more broadly.

This illustration shows the steps for creating CAR T-cell therapy, a type of treatment in which a patient's T cells (a type of immune system cell) are changed in the laboratory so they will attack cancer cells.

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Intelligent search from Bing makes it easier to quickly find what you’re looking for and rewards you.

Intelligent search from Bing makes it easier to quickly find what you’re looking for and rewards you.

The cytokine interleukin (IL)-1β is a key mediator of the inflammatory response and has been implicated in the pathophysiology of acute and chronic inflammation

One of the characteristics of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the large inter- and intra-individual variability of the clinical course. Lupus nephritis is no exception. Some patients with kidney involvement may show rapid progression to renal failure, others may enter complete and stable remis …